I almost forgot something. If someone has a serious grudge against you they could tamper with the car doors. If your car has "pull" door releases, look carefully because someone might tape a razor blade under the release. If your car has a button release, check for needles etc. taped to the button. It only takes a quick look.
Moral of the story--don't just do things without paying attention. Personal security requires that you be alert.
When oyu approach your car, walk around it. Look carefully to see if it has been tampered with. Me? I look down at the tires to see if someone has punched a hole in one since a quick way to catch you is to ensure you have a flat tire. Sneaky thieves will punch 2 tires so you *really* cannot get away. And *really* sneaky people will not punch your tires--they'll put 2 caltrops down right under the tire so everything looks fine until you start to drive away--then "Bang!" and you're stuck.
So look at things first.
Sorry about being gone for 2 weeks: Lot to do as I did my regular work. But to continue about cars and the danger therein.
Get a locking gas cap. I know it's inconvenient. But if someone wants to be a pain in the tush, all they have to do is pour sugar (it takes more than a spoonful but I won't say how much) into your tank. It won't take long before you have a major engine problem on your hands. Or if they *really* want to be malicious, a ping pong ball in the gas tank will cause you to stall out and is almost impossible to diagnose without taking the gas tank apart.
There are also other, more malevolent tricks with gas tanks that I won't describe that can make the car go "boom". So a locking cap is a good thing.
In my last post I said I would write a bit about safety in parking lots. So here goes with the first tip:
When you approach your car, look around before you get there. That's right--before. That means as you are walking around the parking lot looking for your car. Why do this? Because if you see something or someone who looks like they are waiting for you, leave the area and ask for an escort. Always do this. Another reason to look first--the person waiting may not know your car. But they will when they see you go to open it up. Now, if you are worried about a mugger who targets people randomly, that's not necessarily a big deal. But if you are worried (or should be) about a specific person with a specific grudge against you--it's important to deny them as much information as possible.
It's graduation time. And summer time. And time for all the tired, drunk, impaired drivers to be out on the roads more. So, what do you do if you see one of these coming up on you? Or you come up on them? And they are speeding/weaving/giving signs of being impaired?
Most people try to get around them quickly and go past them. OK. But then they are behind you and you have no idea what they are doing, if they have decided to speed up on you and follow you or anything. Because they are behind you *they* control the situation. So ... try getting behind them and making sure they have all the room they need to be silly. Then you can see what *they* are doing and drive defensively to avoid any problems they create.
This doesn't work all the time, but it does help.
Yesterday I was out driving. Just a normal run to the stores. I pulled into the parking lot and suddenly noticed that someone was following me. All the way to where I park. No place to drive away. So I hopped out of the car and put my back to my car. I didn't stay in the car because it's a little convertible--no protection at all.
Turned out to be just a normal case of road rage. Hewent away without even getting out of his car.
Moral: use your mirrors. Use them regularly. And be aware.
Contempt of Cop. It's not an official crime. You'll never find it listed in the statute books. But it's real. Just ask the right people. If a cop believes that you are not being sufficiently respectful (as the cop defines "respectful") you are in trouble. If you were stopped while you were driving, you can be cited for "weaving", bad equipment on the car, broken taillights, whatever. If you were walking, the list of problems including failure to disburse, failure to identify yourself, etc. grows.
And then comes the search. A proper search can be done reasonably or otherwise. There are lots of tricks cops know and use when they want to antagonize you. Then the charges are upgraded to resisting arrest, assault on a police officer etc. And you are in BIG trouble.
So, what to do when the police stop you? Be respectful. Shut up! Don't say anything you don't have to say. If you are not sure what to do, don't do anything. If the cop wants you to talk he'll tell you to talk. And then you can reply, respectfully, that you prefer not to talk without a lawyer present. But Respect is everything on the street and the cops will insist on it--especially from young people and people who do not speak English with the same accent the cop does.
Someone was just posting on a listserve I visit all the time about getting the creeps when she's leaving the office. So she wallks carefully to her car and listens to her instincts. Good! But once she gets to the car there's more she should do. Specifically, she should be careful about just getting in the car. There's an urban legend about someone hiding in the back of someone's car. But it could happen. More to the point, I've known a situation where someone set 2 caltrops (look them up) in front of the 2 rear tires. Start to drive away and ... bingo ... 2 flat tires. Now 1 flat tire you can deal with but it's a distraction and being distracted is being vulnerable. But *2* flat tires ... Now you're prey. So, before you get into your car, walk around it & check.
As a followup to my earlier post about "check your "6"", when you are approaching your car (especially these days with an armload of presents) be aware of the other cars around you. Who is in them? What are they doing? Are they paying attention to you? Listen to your instincts. A lot of people get mugged, assaulted, and carjacked because they were not paying attention. Don't be one of them. If you are uncomfortable, don't stop at your car, go back to the store.
I was out grocery shopping with my daughters yesterday and we were using their car. So when we went to load the groceries into the trunk, there wasn't enough room. Why? Because they had stashed their presents for other people (like me and their Mom) in the trunk so we wouldn't see it. This isn't a good idea. Take the stuff out of the car.
Similarly, don't leave stuff in the back seat either. It's just a magnet for thieves.
